Takeaways for Toronto as Raptors Fall in Heartbreaker to Bulls

Toronto Raptors ride big night from RJ Barrett but fall in heartbreaker to Chicago Bulls on Monday night

Dec 16, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) controls the ball against Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) during the first quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Chicago Bulls 122, Toronto Raptors 121

PG Barrett

RJ Barrett is being thrown into the fire.

It’s not what Toronto would have wanted at this point in the season. Ideally, Immanuel Quickley or Scottie Barnes would be leading the charge offensively and shouldering the playmaking duties. But with both sidelined, Toronto has turned to Barrett to fill a role he hasn’t played since his college days at Duke, when he briefly took on lead playmaker responsibilities after Zion Williamson’s injury.

“I’m a basketball player. I think adapting is one of my biggest skillsets just in life,” said Barrett, who made his second start of the season as Toronto’s primary point guard on Monday. “I think that I'll be able to figure it out.”

The Raptors have no plans to make Barrett a full-time point guard. Instead, the hope is that this opportunity to take on a larger role will help him develop his playmaking skills for when the roster is back at full strength. There were moments of promise. He connected with Jakob Poeltl on a pick-and-roll in the first quarter and later found a cutting Ochai Agbaji with a no-look pass in the third. In the final seconds of that quarter, Barrett threaded a pass inside to Jonathan Mogbo for an and-1 finish, helping Toronto trim Chicago’s lead to 11.

“This is literally just to speed up his decision-making process and see how he goes about helping the team on offense,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said Sunday afternoon.

Barrett is still at his best when he's looking to score. With the Raptors lacking offensive firepower, he did his part to keep them in the game. In the fourth quarter, as Toronto’s offense finally showed signs of life, Barrett repeatedly attacked the paint, eventually pulling the Raptors within one with just over two minutes remaining. But that was as close as they would get. A pair of missed opportunities from Barrett down the stretch sealed Toronto’s fate. Barrett finished with a game-high 32 points, five rebounds, and nine assists in 37 minutes.

Dick’s final attempt—a last-second three-pointer—bounced off the front rim, ending any hope of a Raptors comeback. The second-year sharpshooter finished with 27 points on 9-for-20 shooting.

Shead Closes it Out

After playing 40 minutes in the G League on Sunday night, Jamal Shead popped off Toronto’s bench for the entire fourth quarter as the last Raptors player to check in Monday night. The rookie point guard provided a huge boost late, changing the energy of the game as the Raptors clawed out of a 16-point hole.

“He definitely deserves to play and play more,” Rajaković said. “I’m proud that he was able to step up and help us with energy and defense and making shots.”

Shead finished the night plus-10 with 10 points in 12 minutes, nailing a buzzer-beating three-pointer to pull the Raptors to within one.

Lazy Transition Defense

Few things seem to irritate Darko Rajaković quite like lazy transition defense. At times, it shouldn't even be considered transition defense. Yet, too often this season, miscommunication and mental lapses have allowed opposing teams to get out and run off missed field goals—and occasionally even made buckets.

When it first happened Monday night, Rajaković immediately called a timeout. Matas Buzelis had slipped behind the Raptors' defense for an uncontested dunk, prompting Rajaković to make a full lineup change, bringing in Garrett Temple for his first rotation minutes of the month.

That should have been enough to send a message. It wasn’t. A quarter later, the Bulls once again got behind Toronto’s defense, as Julian Phillips scored off a made basket from Jakob Poeltl within seconds of the inbound pass.

It’s one thing to be out-talented, but mistakes like those simply can’t happen.

Poeltl Injury

Jakob Poeltl slipped awkwardly early in the fourth quarter and suffered a left groin strain. He stayed down for Chicago's ensuing offensive possession before walking off the court and into Toronto's locker room. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

"I just looked at it right now, pretty bad fall," Rajaković said. "Obviously, we're concerned. We're gonna do all the checkups tonight. He has some pain in his groin."

Barnes Update

The promising news from Monday is Scottie Barnes doesn't sound too far away from a return. He was a limited participant in practice earlier in the day and is nearing a ramp-up period toward a return. He's yet to be cleared for contact but shouldn't miss more than another week or so.

Up Next: Brooklyn Nets

The Raptors will again have a few days off before continuing their homestand on Thursday when the Brooklyn Nets come to town for at 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff at Scotiabank Arena.